Steve Hunt, annoying everyone, Marcus Hahnemann, a huge presence in goal and the unshakable back four of Graeme Murty, Nicky Shorey, Ibrahima Sonko and Ivar Ingimarsson.

What a team they were.

Fans at Leicester

Royals fans were truly spoilt in the 05/06 season, which led to record-breaking promotion and week after week of outstanding football.

Any football fan will tell you 99 per cent of the time you do not turn up to games expecting to win - you expect anything but.

But that year, you knew.

Hull at home, 3-1, Cardiff at home, 5-1, Wolves away, 2-0, Norwich at home, 4-0, and, the best of all, sealing the championship with six games to go with a thunderous 5-0 win over Derby County.

The team just oozed class and was, quite frankly, much too good for most of the teams in that league.

One of the many highlights was the home game against the Blades

A point which was proven by a record points total, nearly 100 goals and finishing 16 points ahead of second place Sheffield United.

One of the many highlights was the home game against the Blades, led by cuddly old Neil Warnock himself.

Warnock, always furious.

Other memories include the incredible 3-2 home win against Palace - featuring THAT overhead kick by Leroy Lita, beating Brighton 5-1 at the Madejski (where Colin Kazim-Richards scored the best pointless consolation goal ever) and of course the slightly nervy draw against Leicester.

After slipping up on the first day at home to Plymouth (which led to some predictable moaning and calls of “we aren’t good enough”), Royals went 33 games unbeaten, only slipping up against Luton Town again that season.

106 points, 99 goals, turning over Premier League West Brom in the FA Cup (sound familiar?), a trip to Highbury in the League Cup, no play-offs, knowing you’re going to get promoted at the end of January, a livid Warnock, just three 0-0 draws, winning the league at home, pitch invasion, celebrations, Murty scoring, Glen Little’s goal at Plymouth, the 4-3 at Crewe, Lita’s overhead, Sonko’s headers, Sonko hitting the top of the West Stand with a hoofed clearance, Steve Coppell’s coat-throwing, super-fast ball-boys and girls, multi-ball and all the rest.

And thanks to everyone else involved in such an extraordinary and utterly memorable season

So I think I can speak on behalf of all Royals fans and say thank you to Hahnehmann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson, Shorey, Convey, Harper, Sidwell, Little, Lita/Doyle/Kitson/Long.

Thanks to the bar staff for the many pints of utterly disgusting pre-poured lager and for the volcano-hot pies you were still eating 25 minutes into the second half.

Thanks to Neil Warnock for being so gloriously grumpy each and every time you play Reading.

And thanks to everyone else involved in such an extraordinary and utterly memorable season.

We may see similar seasons in our lifetimes, we may even see an even better one, but we won’t ever see the first promotion to the Premier League again.

THAT is what made it unique, that is what made it so exciting and that’s why it’ll be so special to those fans in 50 years who can tell their grandchildren they were there when Doyle scored, or they were there when Shane Long sealed the Championship win against Derby.